“Give respect where respect is due” - Bryson DeChambeau lauds Brooks Koepka's PGA Championship win despite old beef

Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship 2023 on Sunday. The LIV golfer made a big statement by claiming his fifth career major championship, defeating several PGA Tour players. The victory, which came amid the LIV Golf vs PGA Tour debate, has now received praises from Koepka’s old foe Bryson DeChambeau.

Koepka was greeted by DeChambeau on Sunday after his win. Just days after the event, DeChambeau has come out to explain why he walked back to the 18th green at Oak Hill to congratulate Koepka.

The golfer said that he had to “give respect where respect is due” despite their old feud. Suggesting that the tenor of their relationship has changed over the years, the 29-year-old dubbed it sad that Koepka had no one else to congratulate him right after his fifth major win.

Speaking about his exchange with Koepka at Oak Hill, in a news conference ahead of LIV Golf DC on Wednesday, Bryson DeChambeau said:

“Look, I’m going to give respect where respect is due. He has won five majors, and he played better than me that week. And what was sad is that really nobody was there to congratulate him after.”

DeChambeau further stated that it was important for him to laud a fellow LIV golfer for his victory. He said:

“He’s a LIV golfer and I am, too. And obviously that’s a part of it.”

It is pertinent to note that DeChambeau and Koepka share one of the biggest rivalries in the golfing world. The beef between the two golfers started with a slow-play incident back in 2019. Following this, the duo started an unhealthy exchange of jabs, making their relationship sour over the years. However, fans can relax knowing that the two are now on good terms.

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Bryson DeChambeau says Brooks Koepka’s PGA Championship win is big for LIV Golf

It is pertinent to note that this wasn’t the first time Bryson DeChambeau spoke about Brooks Koepka’s PGA Championship victory. Earlier on Sunday, the golfer opened up on the same and was appreciative of the win. He has now stated that Koepka’s triumph proved that the Saudi-backed series’ schedule was good enough for its players to win major championships.

DeChambeau, who finished in a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship, said:

“Look, (Koepka’s win) proves that we can play in major championships. Proves that the schedule is good enough for us to win major championships… Yeah, it’s an individual sport, but there’s a team component to it now.

"And it’s really cool to see how (LIV golfers) are playing well not only for their teams and for themselves, but for an organization that deserves to be mentioned a lot more in a better light than what it is.”

The comments come as a big sign of relief for the duo’s fans. Earlier in February, Koepka had noted on Instagram that he and DeChambeau had “squashed” their proverbial beef.

He stated that it was done in large part because of their shared interest in LIV. However, fans weren’t fully sure about this. DeChambeau's recent comments on the PGA Championship winner’s comments have underlined the resolution.